The Future of Consumerist

Over the last twelve years, Consumerist has been a steadfast proponent and voice on behalf of consumers, from exposing shady practices by secretive cable companies to pushing for action against dodgy payday lenders. Now, we’re joining forces with Consumer Reports, our parent organization, to cultivate the next generation of consumer advocacy.

Stay tuned as Consumerist’s current and future content finds its home as a part of the Consumer Reports brand. In the meantime, you can access existing Consumerist content below, and we encourage you to visit Consumer Reports to read the latest consumer news.

Intimate relationships have a way of disarming even for those who are fiercely independent with their finances, and that intimacy can lead to the logistical horror that is merging bank accounts and credit cards.

A Kiplinger story provides a how-to guide on how to pull off the merger with minimal annoyance, helping you choose the best eggs to break in order to form your financial omelette.

The story recommends first getting the ugly, dirty secrets out of the way, such as sharing credit scores and debt. Clearing the air upfront can be key in deciding whether or not to merge accounts before you buy a house or vehicle together. If one person has great credit and the other is a financial mess, it usually makes more sense to keep things separate until after the better-qualified person secures the loan.

If you’ve merged accounts with someone, how did you make sure things went smoothly?